Muscle kneading and massaging device



May 29, 1945. s L. CONRAD 2 ,377,131

MUSCLE KNEADING AND MASSAGING DEVICE Filed July 2a. 1945 V v In van forJAMUfL L CONRAD flttorn ey Patented May 29, 1945 i I MUSCLE KNEADING ANDMASSAGING JDEVICE s men act ess, Columbus, ohi 1 Application July 26,

1 Claim.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to muscle kneading andmassaging devices.

There are many exercising, kneadingand-massaging devices and machinesforvarious uses and purposes. Some are in the nature of more orlesscomplicated apparatus or equipment andsome 'are for a number ofpurposes. Many are formuscular development or special'muscular training.some are forcorrection of physical defects or deformities. Others: areforrelief or alleviation of pains, aches, soreness and other suffering.'I'hepresent invention provides a very simp1e,-'c,ompact. andinexpensive: device particularly, designed to treat. foot and leg.musclesto relieve soreness, aches and painsin those muscles and tendonsand, at the same: time, .to provide-a device for easy. home use by theindividual so that a user, on arriving at home, while still enduring thepain and discomfort, may haveimmediate relief by simply, slipping off;his shoes and immediatelyusing the invention. It is so.

constructed and arranged that any one can apply and use, itquicklyandeasily after the firstsimple explanation or demonstration, I

Inorder tomore clearly disclose the construction, operatiomand useoftheinvention, refers enga: should be had to :the. accompanying drawings,forming :partof. thislapplication.

Throughout the severalfigures of :the drawings,-

nt en s t at t ay b ad en e yo wo r Atthepresent time that iseconomically importantbecause all metalused for such devices is now.classed a as critical material needed, for

war purposes. All metal parts. shown ,in the.

drawings orotherwise referred to-in this, application may be readilysubstituted withwood. vThat, f eurl aa slu ss t in s eo n i r pivotsthrough the. ends of the swinging members and into the adjacent portion,ofthe base could.

readily serve the samepurposeand produce a.

corresponding result. Since such substitutionsv ctieally. obvious and amatter, of ordinary nef ess ary nerxdesirable;to illustrate an I hBm-lFurthermore. such, unn e sary nd add ti a r-- woodw rkin sk l it is neiter.

1943,- Serial No. 496,133 I I illustration and corresponding descriptionwould merely increasethe record of the case with" no justifyingadvantage. It will be understood, of?

course, that any other suitable material m'ay be used.

Referring to the drawings in. detail; I indicates asimple fiat one-piecebase, preferably of rec tan lar shape and of any suitable thickness.Although any suitable material may be used,

Wood is preferable as readi y obtainable, light weight, economical,readily workable and not.

classed as a critical material, at this time. For

easily carryingand handling the device, a handle 2 may be provided atone end. In the position shown, it provides the simplest and easiestcarryhandle. Itcould, of course, be placed at the op posite end, or atone sideor at' various. other points. And, of course, a handheld could bcut in or through the base at that or at any other point desired, andserve the same, purpose;

Near one end of base I is pivoted an open frame comprising two side bars3 and connecting cross.

rods], the connecting rods being respectively near the opposite ends ofbars 3... Bars 3 are. shown. of substantially the same length as base Iand that is the preferred arrangement. Here, again, although anysuitablematerial may be used, wood is preferred for the reasons given. Whilesimple standard wood hinges 5 are shown as the con-f nections betweenthe frame members and base, any other pivotal connections between thoseparts may be used. Instead of standard wood hin es, for instance, woodenpivot pins or pintles could readily be substituted in well known manner.

Rods 4 have been shown as simple metal rods When col with nuts toproperly space the bars. lapsed, the free ends of bars 3 and theadjacent end of base I are in the same plane andform the handle 2 at thetop.

" are rollers 6 and I of any suitablematerial, pre-.-

roller 1 is concave.

1 for desired adjustment. 651:. ingsritis y in the mid-way position,relatively 1 a narrow base on which the device may be conveniently stoodupright, vertically or erect, with Between bars 3 and freely revolubleon rods. 4'

the other roller or in the middle or second of the holes.

A second and somewhat shorter frame comprising bars 8 and a connectingcross rod 9 is similarly pivotally connected to the opposite end of baseI Here, again, the hinge connection 5 may be of wood as may, also thecross rod 9. The free ends of bars 8 are angled or bevelled toselectively seat in corresponding cooperating V-notches ID in the loweredges of the respective side bars 3. As will be clearly seen from Figs.1 and 2, the

bars 8 are beneath bars 3 or between them and base I. They act as a propor a support to maintain bars 3 and their rollers 6 and l in any one ofseveral selected positions according to the so proportioned that therollers will be spaced a distance approximately equal to the distancebetween the arch and calf of the average adult. Likewise, it will beunderstood that the supporting and propping frame comprising the parts 8and 9 is of such length as to give the roller carrying frame the desiredinclination, when seated in one or another of the respective notches 10.

Of course, for abnormally short and abnormally long legs, the size ofthe device would be correspondingly shortened or lengthened, as will bewell understood, and the respective proportions of the parts would be,accordingly changed particular adjustment desired by the particular vuser. Thus, in the position of Fig, 2, for instance, they support bars 3and rollers 6 and 1 in the position shown. In that position, the devicemay be placed in front of a chair in which a user is seated. With theshoe removed, the user's foot. if an average adult, will, be placed onthe lower or convexed roller. Then the calf of the le will fall on theconcave roller near the upper end of the roller carrying frame. Byseating bars 8 in different notches l0, bars 3 may be raised or loweredto give the height and inclination, or position of adjustment, desiredand most acceptable to and by the particular or individual user. When soadjusted it will be positively and firmly supported in such. adjustedposition as lon as desired against the weight and movement of the user.And by moving the axis of the convex roller toward or from the concaveroller, the rollers may be selectively spaced for different leg lengths,in using the device.

In use, the calf is simply moved back and forth over roller 1, in adirection lengthwise of the bars 3. At the same time, as the footreaches roller 6, it is rocked radially across, on and around the convexsurface of that roller. It will be noticed that the surfaces of therollers are complementary to the surfaceson which they are to be usedand that is the preferred relation. As to the arch of the foot, however,a cylindrical roller or, even, roller 1 may be used, though that is notpreferred. The calf of the leg is wide compared to the arch of the foot.The arch of the foot presents a relatively narrow'band. So,

the band of corresponding width at the low point of the concave could beused acceptably on the arch of the foot.

Using both rollers for arches, as above indicated, .the device would becollapsed as in Fig. 2.

and placed between two chairs of users. Each user could then apply thearch of his foot to the roller nearest him, as will be readilyunderstood. In. that way, two people could use the devicesimultaneously.

At this point, it may be stated that for convenience and security inhandling and carrying, the device may be definitely maintained collapsedby small hooks i l on the sides of bars 8, engagingin corresponding eyesl2 on the sides of bars 3, making a perfectly flat compact unit with noprojectingparts. Various wooden securing devices may be substitutedwithequally satisfactory results. As will be seen, when'secured in thiscollapsed relation, the device may be readily stood up, on end, with thehandle at the top and the hook' and eye fastening will maintain the flatpackage form, thereby making it practicable for the upright position tobe held, which would not be practicable except in such packageformation.

It is hardly necessary to state that the parts are radially beyond theside bars 3.

as to sizes and shapes.

On reference to Figs. 2 and 4, especially 4, it will be clear that therollers 6 and 1 project Consequently, when collapsed, as in said Figs. 2and 4 and turned upside down as in Fig. 4, rollers 6 and I enga e thefloor or other supporting surface and act as furniture casters for thedevice so that it may be easily and quickly rolled where desired.

In describing the invention reference has been made to its use forrelieving foot and calf soreness and troubles. While the device has beenespecially developed for foot and calf troubles, it is not limited tosuch uses. It may be applied to the arm, back, side or any other part ofthe anatomy desired by the user.

It is simply constructed, low in cost, easily and quickly set up foruse, requires the minimum of instruction for use, is always availablefor use in the home when and where needed, is compact for carrying andvery easily moved to any place where it may be needed.

It is thought that the construction, operation and use of the inventionwill be clear from the preceding detailed description.

Many changes may be made in the construction, arrangement anddisposition of the several parts of the invention, within the scope ofthe appended claim, without departing from the field of the inventionand it is meant to include all such within this application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

A device of the character described comprising a base, a frame ofslightly greater length than that of the lower leg of the average adultand swingingly mounted at onev end on and in spaced relation to saidbase and, in collapsed position, lying parallel to and spaced from saidbase, a second frame independent of the first frame, swingly mounted atone end on the aforesaid base, said mounting being at the opposite endof the base relative to the mounting of the first frame on said base,said second frame, in collapsed position, lying parallel with and onsaid base and between said base and the first mentioned'frame, saidsecond frame supporting said first frame in operative position, twomassaging rollers journaled directly in said first frame, bodilyimmovable relatively to said first frame, each in close proximity to therespective end of said frame and said rollers being spaced apart adistance approximately equal to the length of the lower leg of theaverage adult, said space between said rollers being clear forpositioning and movement of the users leg, means for selectivelysecuring one of said rollers in adjusted positions relatively to theother of said rollers, and means carried by said second frame andengaging means carried by said first frame, securing said frames andbase in parallel, compact, collapsed relation.

SAMUEL L. CONRAD.

